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Even if the Occupy movement dies off, it'll live forever in the millions of photos that documented it. Some of the best, including one that ended up as the source for a Time Magazine cover, are now on display at the Robert Berman Gallery in Santa Monica. Off-Ramp producer Kevin Ferguson attended the exhibit's opening reception.
Gallery owner Robert Berman said the inspiration for the pop-up exhibit started when he was collaborating with friend and artist Christopher Felver on Felver’s Ordered Worlds series. At the same time, Berman gallery employee Sarah Mason, was occupying the steps of L.A.’s city hall every night.
“One night she came back and told me she was chosen for the ‘Person of the Year’ Time Magazine cover,” Berman said. “… the fact that Shepard Fairey had chosen that [photo] randomly, it made this whole show come together.”
The photographer behind the cover photo is Ted Soqui, whose Occupy LA artwork is on display at the exhibit. Soqui admitted that he was surprised by the movement’s longevity in Los Angeles.
“I thought it was just a protest, then I noticed the tents went down,” he said. “I drove there on the third day, began photographing and I was hooked.”
As for his shooting technique, Soqui said he tries to keep it subtle.
“I’m not trying to be a clever photographer,” he continued. “I just wanted to capture an honest moment.
The exhibit is on display through January 28 and also features work from John Harvey and Shepard Fairey.